Transformations
Strand: Shape and Space (Transformations)
Outcomes: 5, 6
Step 3: Plan for Instruction
Guiding Questions
- What learning opportunities and experiences should I provide to promote learning of the outcomes and permit students to demonstrate their learning?
- What teaching strategies and resources should I use?
- How will I meet the diverse learning needs of my students?
- What learning opportunities and experiences should I provide to promote learning of the outcomes and permit the students to demonstrate their learning?
- What teaching strategies and resources should I use?
- How will I meet the diverse learning needs of my students?
A. Assessing Prior Knowledge and Skills
Before introducing new material, consider ways to assess and build on the students' knowledge and skills related to 3-D objects and 2-D shapes. Have 3-D objects available for the students to use as needed.
Ways to Assess and Build on Prior Knowledge 
B. Choosing Instructional Strategies
Consider the following general strategies for teaching congruence and symmetry with 2‑D shapes:
- Access prior knowledge on 2-D shapes so that the terminology is understood and applied as needed.
- Use everyday contexts to introduce congruence and symmetry, drawing the students' prior experiences in the real world.
- Include many hands-on activities to establish the concept of congruence prior to symmetry. The students need to know the characteristics of two congruent shapes before they can understand that the symmetrical parts of a 2-D shape are congruent.
- Use a variety of manipulatives to construct the meaning of congruence and symmetry such as pattern blocks, tiles, Miras, paper folding, geoboards and cardboard shapes; e.g., stick men—one as the original, the other as a congruent partner.
- Through exploration, provide opportunity for the students to generalize the Big Ideas about congruence and symmetry and record these ideas in various ways, such as using Frayer models.
- Have the students share their ideas about sorting various sets of 2-D shapes and provide follow-up activities to address any misconceptions that may arise.
- Have the students justify their thinking by explaining why they use a particular strategy to create congruent and/or symmetrical 2-D shapes.
- Encourage flexible thinking by having the students sort sets in more than one way or create symmetrical 2-D shapes in more than one way.
C. Choosing Learning Activities
Learning Activities are examples of activities that could be used to develop student understanding of the concepts identified in Step 1.
Grade 4
